A Roman Temple in Portugal, an Interesting Student Project and the Word of the Day
Usually I focus on a contemporary architectural project but today, I decided to go back in time.
Living in Portugal has provided me with an opportunity to see pieces of ancient history that bring those times alive for me and gives me an opportunity to see what I only was able to read about in school.
The Templo Romano (Roman Temple) in Evora
I visited Évora to see what remains of the Roman Temple that was built in the first century CE during the time of Caesar Augustus when the area was ruled by the Roman Empire.
The towers at the gates of the wall-encircled town of Évora
It still amazes me the reach the Roman Empire had along the Mediterranean Sea. In Portugal you can visit the remains of Roman baths, the stone walls of settlements and aqueducts that still stand. To be able to touch history and study the construction of these monuments as an architect is beyond compare.
The temple is located in the central square of Évora. Along the square are other historical buildings including the Se Cathdral, also known as the Évora Cathedral, and what is now the Pousada dos Loios, the Évora Public Library and the Évora Museum.
If you walk a bit further to the park, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the surrounding area that shows some of the beauty of the Alentejo.
Évora is in the region referred to as the Alentejo and the historic center of Évora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A student project
This week I am showcasing a student at George Washington University's Corcoran School of the Arts and Design in Washington DC who has designed a project titled Corterie.
In her own words Cece Witherspoon states:
"Corterie is a women-focused co-working space aiming to support and enrich the lives of women and working mothers in the DMV area.
Through its co-working spaces, daycare centre and wellness facilities, Corterie caters to working mothers by providing them beautiful spaces to work, collaborate and build a community."
Ms. Witherspoon's project is available to view on issu and goes into great detail with floor plans, building sections and perspectives describing the scope of the work.
The school offers an interesting program. According to their description:
"The Interior Architecture Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at the George Washington University's Corcoran School of the Arts and Design in Washington DC is the only council for interior design accreditation-accredited programme in the United States' capital.
It is designed for students who pursued a bachelor's degree in a field other than interior design, interior architecture or architecture and are looking to follow a studio-based curriculum that will teach various aspects of interior design, theories and technicalities.
We believe in fostering a community that encourages creativity and pushes the boundaries of design with an emphasis on conceptual thinking and the design process.”
And now the word for the day is…Capital
Those decorative pieces seen on the top of columns are called column capitals.
The two earliest Egyptian capitals of importance are those based on the lotus and papyrus, in time, the column capitals changed based on the culture and the natural environment.
The column capitals that you see at the Templo Romano I would describe as Corinthian which was the Roman version of a column capital.
Just as the Egyptians styled their capitals based on the lotus and papyrus, it is believed the Romans designed the tops of the columns based on the Acanthus plant.
There is a good description of the different column capitals found on ArchDaily.
If you have any questions about information in this newsletter, or about architecture in general, please leave them in the comment section below. I am always happy to answer questions and respond to comments.
For more about my classes, you can go to Architecture 101 for Kids and Teens.
-Dora Taylor
PS: If you happen to live or plan to be in or near London during the month of June, the London Festival of Architecture looks interesting. It seems accessible to all, not just architects and designers, and covers the entire subject of design.
https://www.londonfestivalofarchitecture.org/